Devils Digest has confirmed Yahoo! Sports Pete Thamel's report that ASU’s wide receivers coach Prentice Gill and its defensive backs coach Chris Hawkins have been placed on paid on admin leave. These moves are a result of the NCAA’s review of the program’s recruiting practices during the extended recruiting dead period that last from March 2020 through June of 2021. This review is regarding allegations of the Arizona Staff having recruits on its campus and, in some cases paying for their travel expenses.

ASU began its fall camp practice on Wednesday, August 4th and both coaches were present at all sessions from that date through Saturday the 7th. Today’s practice was closed to the media. Both coaches are not expected to rejoin the team later this month during preseason practices nor at any point of the 2021 season.

Gill and Hawkins are the second and third ASU football coaches to be placed on paid on admin leave, following tight ends coach Adam Breneman who was placed on the same type of leave on July 16th.

Graduate assistant Bobby Wade will now coach the ASU wide receivers, and offensive coordinator Zak Hill will assist with that group too, as analysts Trey Anderson increases his workload with the quarterbacks. Consultant Donnie Henderson will coach the defensive backs.

Both Gill and Hawkins were two of ASU’s best recruiters in the current and previous recruiting classes, as each of them landed several four-star prospects. Gil is primarily responsible in the pursuit of Sun Devil freshmen wide receivers Elijhah Badger, Johnny Wilson, and LV Bunkley-Shelton, as well as Utah transfer Bryan Thompson. All four players at a minimum figure to be mainstays in the two-deep at their position if not starting for Arizona State this year. Hawkins was largely responsible for securing the services of freshmen cornerbacks Isaiah Johnson and Tommi Hill , as well as 2022 safeties Larry Turner-Gooden and Alfonzo Allen.

This assistant coach has extensive ties in the Southern California recruiting scene. Hawkins’ father, Armond Hawkins, is the Director of Recruiting for Ground Zero 7-on-7, a passing league club that is one of the premier such clubs in the Western region. Current starting Jayden Daniels and Bunkley-Shelton did play for that club. Gill worked as an offensive analyst in Oregon as well as USC and was involved in the recruiting operations at both Pac-12 schools for the last handful of years.

The NCAA review wasn't believed to conclude in the near future, yet Arizona State is now already without three of its assistant coaches and most prominent recruiters less than a month before its season opener at home versus Southern Utah. It is, however, believed that these are the last two ASU coaches that are expected to be placed on leave as a result of this review.

Due to an ongoing NCAA investigation and the fact that this is an Arizona State personnel matter, the school cannot comment on this matter.